Cast-weld center filler



Sept. 3, 1963 G. F. COUCH 3,102,643

CAST-WELD CENTER FILLER Filed July 29, 1958 FIG. 2

FIG. l

Inventor:

Glenn E Couch By MMM;

his Attorney FIG. 3

United States Patent 3,192,643 CAST-WELD CENTER FILLER Glenn F. Couch, Bergen, N.Y., assignor to Symmgton Wayne Corporation, Salisbury, Md, a corporation of Maryland Filed .luly 29, 1953, Ser. No. 751,737 7 (Ilaims. (Ql. 2.1357) This invention relates to center fillers for railway vehicles and has for its primary object the provision of an improved center filler of cast-weld design, which is at least equal in quality and cheaper to make and, when welded after installation, easier to install than an integral cast center filler.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cast-weld center filler formed of a plurality of parts castable with a minimum of coring and weldable together either before or after installation in the underframe of a railway vehicle.

An additional object of the invention is to provide 'an improved manufacture in the form of a plurality of castings joinable by welding into a center filler joined through its king post and having means integral therewith for backing up the jointed sides of the king post during welding without use of backing-up strips or sealing beads.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of \a preferred embodiment of the cast-weld center filler of the present invention with portions broken away and shown in section to more clearly illustrate certain of the details of construction;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational View from the inner side of one of the substantially counterpart cast parts of the center filler; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary front elevatio-nal view of the center filler.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved oast-weld center filler of the present invention is intended for installation in a center sill (not shown) forming part of the underframe (not shown) of a railway vehicle (not shown) and, when assembled or completed, is comprised of a pair of transversely spaced side walls 1 having substantially fiat outer faces 2 adapted to confront and be attached as by riveting or, as in the illustrated embodiment, by welding about the edges of a plurality of slots 3 interrupting each side wall, to the side webs (not shown) of the center sill. Preferably, the side Walls 1 are longitudinally ribbed, for strength, as at 4 and have integral forward extensions terminating forwardly in instanding flanges 5 serving as rear draft lugs for :an associated cushioning mechanism (not shown).

Connecting the side walls 1 at the bottom, intermediate their longitudinal extremities, is a bottom wall 6 and the side walls also preferably are connected intermediate both longitudinal and vertical extremities by a substantially horizontal intermediate wall, cross plate or tie 7 merging at either end with one of the reinforcing ribbings 4 on either side wall. Disposed centrally of the center filler and here extending between the intermediate and bottom walls 7 and 6, is a king or center post 8 having an upstanding or upright substantially cylindrical wall 9 reinforced against bending by a plurality of upstanding or upright ribs, webs or fins 14 conveniently outstanding radially from the wall 9 and arranged in aligned pairs, one extending longitudinally of the center filler substantially parallel to its side walls 1 and the other transversely thereof normal to the side Walls.

Instead of being formed as an integral casting with consequent expense, due primarily to the difficulty in coring,

BJflZfi lB Patented Sept. 3, 1963 Ice the center filler of the present invention is made of a plurality of intcrfittable castings 11 joinable by welding to complete the center filler. Two such castings are used in the illustrated embodiment, the pair of castings being substantially counterpart and each forming substantially half of the center filler. Each of the pair or" castings 11 also contains, embodies or incorporates part of the wall 9 of the king post 8. This joining or splitting of a center filler of cast-weld design through the king post is not novel in itself. However, as previously practiced, it has required the use of backing-up strips or sealing beads in welding the joint through the wall 9 of the king post 8 to prevent the weld metal from seeping through the joint onto the inner cylindrical surface or axial bore 12 of the king post where it would interfere with the reception by the king post of the associated king pin (not shown). In accordance with the present invention, the need for such strips or beads is avoided by providing butt joints 13 between the castings 11 at either side of the king post 8 which have their outer ends interrupting and exposed along outer surfaces of the center filler and backing up the inner edge of each joint by a flange 14 integral with one of the castings and laterally or transversely over lapping an inner surface of the other casting and extending substantially normal to and coextensive vertically with the joint.

To clear the pair of longitudinally extending ribs 10, as well as strengthen the center filler against horizontal impacts, the whole joint 15' between the castings 11, including the butt joints 13 at the sides of the king post 8, instead of being straight, has its portions 16 and '17 at the front and rear, respectively, of the king post relatively staggered and offset laterally or transversely relative both to each other and the longitudinal center line of the center filler so that the front portion 16 is :on one side and the rear portion 17 on the other-of the adjoining of the longitudinal legs it With the above, the preferred split or division between lhB castings 11, the butt joints l3 and backing flanges 14- of this invention are obtained in the disclosed embodiment by forming the backing flange for each of the butt joints 13 as part of that castings portion of the upstanding wall 9 of the king post 8 and forming on the other casting outwardly of its king post portion a second or outer upstanding or upright, laterally extending flange 18 laterally or transversely overlapping the related backing flange. Each of the pair of overlapping outer and backing flanges 18 and 14 at either side of the king post 8 is designed to seat or fit in or .interfit with one of a pair of preferably substantially L-shaped pockets or sockets 19 and 20 in substantial contact with walls thereof, each formed in the other of the castings, the outer pocket 19 seating the outer flange 18 being defined laterally or transversely by a transversely facing shoulder or abutment 21 confronting and forming with the outer end 22 of the outer flange one of the butt joints 13. Overlapped and backed or blocked at its inner end by the related backing flange 14 and the broken slit or path 23 provided by the backing flange and its pocket 20 between the butt joint and the inner surface 12 of the king post 8 from direct or iii-line access to that inner surface, any seepage or flow of molten metal onto that surface during welding of the butt joint is effectively prevented.

In the illustrated embodiment the joint 15 between the castings 11 interrupts or runs through the bottom and intermediate walls 6 and 7, as well as through the upstanding wall 9 of the king post 8. Thus, in rigidly or fixedly connecting the castings 11 by welding means, a weld 24 is applied both at the butt joints 13 and between the confronting or contiguous edges of the portions of the bottom and intermediate walls 6 and 7 forming part of each casting. There being no problem attendant seep- 3 age in welding the portions of the joint running between the bottom and intermediate walls, no backing-up means need there be provided, either integral with the castings or otherwise. Both the butt join-ts 13 and the remainder of the joint 15 between the castings being accessible from the front and rear of the center filler, awelder can readily lay the weld 24- along the upper face of the bottom wall 6, the underface of the intermediate wall '7 and up or down the butt joints 13. This accessibility of the joint for welding renders it possible to weld the castings 11 together before installation at any convenient place or, and preferably, first to install teach casting in separate but interfit-ting relation in the center sill (not shown) and then weld the castings together.

From the above detailed description, it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved center filler of cast-weld design which is cheaper and more versatile than and at least equal in strength to an integral cast center filler. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the in vention and that all modifications are intended to be included which do not depart from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A cast-weld center filler comprising a plurality of castings each containing part of a king post of said center filler, butt joints between said castings opposite sides of said king post, weld means rigidly connecting said castings over a joint therebetween including said butt joints, and

flange means disposed between each of said butt joints and an inner surface of said king post, each of said flange means being integral with one of said castings and overlapping and backing one of said joints.

2. A cast-weld center filler comprising a pair of castings each containing part of a king post of said center filler, means on each of said castings and forming with means on the other casting substantially vertically extending butt joints at opposite sides of said king post, weld means rigidly connecting said castings over .said but-t joints, and flange means disposed between each of said butt joints and an inner surface of said king post, each of said flange means being integral with one of said castings and laterally overlapping and backing one of said joints.

-3. A cast-weld center filler comprising a plurality of castings, a joint between said castings extending through and staggered on opposite sides of a king post of said center filler, said joint including a vertically extending butt joint at each of said sides of said casting, weld means rigidly connecting said castings over said first-named joint, and flange means disposed between one of said butt joints and an inner surface of said king post, each of said flange means being integral with one of said castings and laterally overlapping and backing one of said joints.

4. A cast-weld center filler comprising a plurality of castings, a joint between said castings extending through and staggered on opposite sides of a king post of said center filler, said joint including vertically extending butt joints at opposite sides of said king post, weld means rigidly connecting said castings over said first-named joint, and flange means disposed between each butt joint and an interior surface of said king post, each flange means being integral with one and fitting into a pocket in the other of said castings and laterally overlapping and backing one of said butt joints.

5. A cast-weld center filler comprising a pair of castings each containing part of a king post of said center filler, a pair of laterally extending flanges at opposite sides and spaced outwardly of an inner surface of said king post and each integral with one of said castings, a pair of laterally facing abutments each integral with one of said castings and confronting and forming with one of said flanges a butt joint spaced outwardly of said inner surface, weld means connecting said castings over a joint spaced outwardly of said inner surface therebetween including said bunt joints, and interfitting means on said castings and disposed and forming a broken path between each butt joint and said inner surface.

6. A cast-weld center filler comprising a pair of castings each containing part-of a king post of said center filler, a pair of laterally extending flanges at opposite sides and spaced outwardly of an inner surface of said king post and each integral with one of said castings, a pair of laterally facing abutments each integral with one of said castings and confronting and forming with one of said flanges a butt joint spaced outwardly of said inner surface, weld means connecting said castings over a joint spaced outwardly of said inner surface therebetween including said butt joints, a plurality of flange means each integral with one of said castings and received in a confronting pocket in the other cas'ting, each of said last-named flange means and its pocket being disposed 1 between one of said butt joints and said interior surface with the flange means overlapping and backing the joint.

7. A cast-weld structure comprising a pair of castings, a butt joint between said castings and having an outer edge exposed along an outer surface of said structure, flange means integral with one of said castings and overlapping and backing an inner side of said portion, and weld means received in said joint and joining said castings therealong.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 898,430 Braine Sept. 15, 1908 2,355,524 Garl'ock et al. Aug. 8, 1944 2,401,137 Campbell May 28, 1946 2,444,637 Dietrickson July 6, 1948 2,569,372 Collison Sept. 25, 1951 2,569,606 Hankins et al. Oct. 2, 1951 2,703,181 Nystrom Mar. 1, 1955 

5. A CAST-WELD CENTER FILLER COMPRISING A PAIR OF CASTINGS EACH CONTAINING PART OF A KING POST OF SAID CENTER FILLER, A PAIR OF LATERALLY EXTENDING FLANGES AT OPPOSITE SIDES AND SPACED OUTWARDLY OF AN INNER SURFACE OF SAID KING POST AND EACH INTEGRAL WITH ONE OF SAID CASTINGS, A PAIR OF LATERALLY FACING ABUTMENTS EACH INTEGRAL WITH ONE OF SAID CASTINGS AND CONFRONTING AND FORMING WITH ONE OF SAID FLANGES A BUTT JOINT SPACED OUTWARDLY OF SAID INNER SURFACE, WELD MEANS CONNECTING SAID CASTINGS OVER A JOINT SPACED OUTWARDLY OF SAID INNER SURFACE THEREBETWEEN INCLUDING SAID BUTT JOINTS, AND INTERFITTING MEANS ON SAID CASTINGS AND DISPOSED AND FORMING A BROKEN PATH BETWEEN EACH BUTT JOINT AND SAID INNER SURFACE. 